Registration is very important even if your young person attends Religious Education only sporadically.

Help us develop our new photo directory! Members, if you have a digital photo of yourself, please email it to minister@nuuc.org. Thanks for your help! Note: our Child Safety Policy prevents us from using photos that include children.

March Adult Enrichment opportunities promise interesting discussions!

The Second Monday Covenant Group (March 11, 10 am-noon at the church) has chosen "Waking Up White" for its intriguing topic this month.

The selection for Brown Bag Books (the third Tuesday, March 20) is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman.

NUUC's Women's Group's new meeting time of fourth Sundays right after service seems to have worked out well. Therefore, the group will meet Sunday, March 31, around 11:30 at Nielsen House, or, perhaps we will take our discussion to a local restaurant! We've been looking at essays by women marginalized by race, religion, sexuality, gender identity, or specific physical distinctions causing unwelcome scrutiny. These essays are in the book Can We All Be Feminists?edited by June Eric-Udorie. March's essay is "Loving Two Things at Once: On Bisexuality, Feminism, and Catholicism," by Caitlin Cruz. Interested? Marty Keith will send you the essay. Everyone identifying as female is welcome.

News from Your Board of Trustees

We have excellent news! We have an exciting design plan from our architect Kay Onwukwe to present to the congregational meeting after worship on March 10, 2019. We are currently doing a final vetting of the plan and its associated cost estimates. Expect an email with the design, the cost estimates, an overview of our financial assumptions, and a description of the design features by Thursday March 7 at the latest. At the Annual Meeting, we will also elect new officers. Expect an email with the annual report and the names of the persons to be elected next week as well. Should the congregation approve the design plan, we will begin training campaign stewards on March 16, and kick off the campaign officially the first Sunday in April. We are excited to be at this point and grateful to all who have helped us to reach this point.

Join our Youth Orchestra!

The NUUC Youth Orchestra will be playing music from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" this spring. Youth of all ages and instruments are invited to join us. The score is for full orchestra, including percussion and saxophone! If you play an instrument that does not have sheet music (guitar, recorder, etc.), Marlene will write a part for you, but please give her plenty of notice! Rehearsals for the Youth Orchestra will be as follows: April 7, April 14, April 28 on Sunday mornings immediately after the workshop service for about 45 minutes. You can miss one rehearsal and still perform with the group. There will be two performances: Sunday, May 5, Sunday, May 19 = Music Sunday We will also meet for rehearsal at 9:45 on the morning of the performance. It's fine if you have to miss one of the two performances as long as you can attend 2/3 of the rehearsals. See Marlene Hartzler at any upcoming worship service or email at marlenehartzler@gmail.com if you would like to be part of this fun ensemble.

Service Auction Coming in April!

The "movie" is under production, NUUC's 2019 Service Auction sequel, "Lights, Camera, Auction!" Plan on coming to the premier, so to speak, Saturday, April 27, starting at 5 pm.

The annual Service Auction, the sole fundraiser for our congregation, is such a fun way to welcome spring. Participants can enjoy an exciting Live Auction, a Silent Auction, and a Theme Basket Auction. Children will have a Kids' Raffle Auction; winnings include games, outings, and movie-themed items. In addition, there will be five activity booths: "Mold a Movie Monster" (a clay craft), "You Oughta Be in Pictures" (a green screen photo booth), "Hollywood Rings" (a game of skill), "Walk of Fame" (make your own Hollywood hand prints and star), and "Special Effects" Face Painting. Also, expect a delicious free supper, even movie popcorn, while surrounded by movie-related decorations. Come dressed in costume, if you like-anything having to do with the world of films. Go, Hollywood! Childcare will be free.

Please donate goods and services, such as a party or dinner (either in your home or out at a restaurant), a lesson (think music...think art), a ride to the airport or help in the yard or house, an article you can make (jewelry, art, a scarf, a baked good), OR a theme gift basket that you've assembled. Your generous donations, along with your enthusiastic bidding, is what makes the Service Auction a success.The deadline for donations is Monday, March 11. You can submit your donation using either the paper All-in-One Form located in Fellowship Hall, or you can use the on-line version of the form found at www.nuuc.org/service-auction/ If you have questions, please contact Chris Aultman (chris.aultman@gmail.com or 614-365-0944), or one of the other "Service Auction Magic Makers" (SAMMs): Jan Bourke, Dee Burlison, Marty Keith, Azin Sharifi, Trina Timson, and Bob Keith (chair).

Social Justice News

INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OHIO (IACO) Helping Central Ohio Homeless: Join representatives from other faith communities to help serve meals to homeless families at the Van Buren Shelter, 595 Van Buren Drive, Columbus, 43223, from 5:30 PM (introduction and tour) to 8:00 PM on Sunday, March 24th. If you prefer an earlier time, you can volunteer to serve meals to single women from 3:30-6:00. Please contact Gwyn Stetler at gwyn.stetler@ymcacolumbus.org if you are interested in volunteering. This is a great opportunity to serve those in need AND to get to know people from other faith traditions. For more information, see the SAC bulletin board or ask Pam Patsch.

ROCK THE BLOCK INTERFAITH DAY OF SERVICE: Join Habitat for Humanity and the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio on April 27th to work with other faith communities in revitalizing a local neighborhood. More information will be provided in the April newsletter and on the IACO website and Facebook page.

MEET YOUR LEGISLATOR DAY: Tuesday, March 19th, 10 am - 4 pm, Ohio Theatre, 55 E State St, Columbus, The Galbreath Pavilion Room #1 (in basement - side entrance of the Ohio Theater). On March 19th join the Buckeye Environmental Network, UUJO and others for "Meet Your Legislator Day". Many of you have said that you want to learn more about what happens after a bill is introduced in the Ohio Legislature. BEN will host an educational training event followed by citizens meeting up with their legislators. Registration begins at 9:30 Am (coffee and pastry provided) Training by Attorney Richard Sahli. Meet with legislators that are making decisions that are dangerous to our health, safety and environment. (Like those that brought us Senate Bill 250, the anti-protest bill and HB 393, the brine as a commodity bill from last year.

If you are interested, please sign up HERE: https://goo.gl/forms/tKuyOodHlKROHCkt1 *All information provided will not be shared or used for fund raising. It will assist us in setting up meetings with your legislator.

UUJO WEBINAR UPDATE ON THE OHIO LEGISLATURE - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 7:00 - 8:30 pm. This new session of the Ohio Legislature is sure to be filled with important bills that will have lasting impact on our state and our local communities. We already know that there will be legislation on abortion rights, free speech, and the environment. And we want to help everyone stay up to date on what is going on at the Ohio Statehouse. UUJO will hold monthly Ohio Legislative news/resource updates on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Webinar facilitators are Rev. Joan Van Becelaere, Executive Director, UUJO, and Justine Konicki, UUJO volunteer staff and legislative researcher. We will also send you reminders each month if you register HERE: https://uujo.wufoo.com/forms/m1k16gbw1qs7zc8/

UUJO SPRING GATHERING: Save the Date, Saturday, April 6, 2019, 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. UUJO will hold Spring Gatherings in 5 cluster locations around Ohio - Toledo, Akron, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. In the morning, we will all hear a keynote form Ohio Senator Nickie Antonio, ranking minority member of the Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee in the Ohio Senate. Senator Antonio is also a Unitarian Universalist and a member of West Shore UU Church in Lakewood, Ohio. We will broadcast her keynote to the different locations by Zoom. After that, the different locations will identify and discuss local/regional issues that we might address as clusters of congregations. Please Hold the Date and there will be more information and registration forms coming soon.

HORIZON DONATIONS: Thanks to everyone who has generously donated yarn, fabric, craft supplies, puzzles, and games to the Horizon women at the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW). Horizon has limited storage space at ORW. We currently have a huge supply of yarn and fabric and do not need more at this time. The women are making vision boards and would appreciate donations of old magazines about women, fitness, home, faith, or style. Be sure to cut off any labels with names and addresses. Please save your yarn, material, and craft supplies. A new request for donations will be posted in the newsletter and Order of Service once these supplies start to run low. The women truly enjoy the opportunity to make gloves, hats, scarves, blankets, Easter baskets, Christmas stockings, and other items for their community service projects. They greatly appreciate the generosity of our congregation in donating the supplies they need for these projects.

REPURPOSING PLASTIC BAGS: Sometimes we forget to bring our reusable bags to the store and end up with plastic bags. Now you can donate your plastic grocery bags to the women in the Horizon Prison Initiative program at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. The women use the plastic bags to make sleeping mats for the homeless. You can leave your plastic bags in the designated container next to the office in Fellowship Hall. Please note, ORW ONLY accepts plastic grocery bags.